The Faith of a Woman, lessons from ‘Her Heart Song’

Have you ever felt like you were on a dark path, being led by bad influences or negative aspects of your life? If so, then maybe you can relate to the character, Eliza’s mother, in my book, Her Heart Song.

Her character is vague, but glimpses of her can be found in her daughter Eliza, the main character. At the tender age of seven, Eliza has begun to see her mother in a different light since being exposed to some of her bad traits – addiction. Eliza sees her mom going down a dark path, not fully understanding what it means. But one thing she does begin to understand quite clearly as the story progresses –  the faith of one woman.

When she and her family visit a home church for the first time, she sees a transformation in her mother. The shadow of her mother seems to be replaced by a real woman, with a light in her eye. She finds herself now witnessing a woman on a new journey, one of faith and new beginnings.

But how did this ever-so-apparent change take place? In this story, it is evident that the change is based on one woman’s faith in God. Eliza’s mom serves as an image of the transformative power of belief and hope.

Here are several ways that Eliza’s mom serves as a testament to faith, and what there is to learn from her:

Eliza’s mom recognizes she is making bad choices

Eliza’s mom has remorse that is evident in her tears, as witnessed by Eliza, as displayed in the chapter “Poverty, Year 1994.” She is not happy with the path she is on and wants to change. I don’t believe any of us go about life thinking about how one day we will be addicts or ruin our lives. Rather, we make choices that have these consequences. Eliza’s mom made choices that led her to a dark place– and she and her kids lived the consequences. However, just like in the story, when you make good choices, you will also reap those benefits. The choice Eliza’s mom made to go to church and face herself was the day she walked through the door of change by believing in something greater.

Eliza’s mom faced her truth

By facing her truth, she was able to recognize that she needed to change. We can’t even think about change unless we first see that there are things in us that need to change. Eliza’s mom was a woman addicted to drugs, but she was not ready to quit until she saw herself in the light of truth. And when she did, that is when she opened up to the possibility that there was another way for her.

Eliza’s mom believed that the impossible was possible

Sometimes, I believe, we think it is impossible to change. Especially when you have been in a dark place for some time. However, Eliza’s mom believed that God could and was able to change her. She had the faith to believe that God could change even her – a woman who was lost to herself. When you have hope and belief that you can change despite where you have been, what you have been, or what your present looks like, then anything is possible.

Leave a comment if this resonated with you in any way!

Thank you for reading. Find more of Her Heart Song, here.